This custard is rich, creamy, and full of coffee flavor. If you like creamy foods and coffee, you probably won't be able to stop eating this. The first time I made it, my family demanded that I make more before the first batch ran out, and my boyfriend begged me to teach it to him. It is very easy and requires little prep work, just a bit of hands-on time. You can make it ahead and pour it into separate cups for a quick party dessert.

Ingredients

1/3 cup white all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups of milk. I used whole milk, but use 1% or 2% if you want to cut out some fat.

1 can (14 oz.) of sweetened condensed milk. You can also use a fat-free variety.

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp instant coffee

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup of whipped cream or whipped topping

Directions

3. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly. This step is very important-- if you don't whisk the mixture constantly, you will get a lumpy custard. You will know when you can take the mixture off the heat because it will thicken.

4. When the mixture is noticeably thicker, about the consistency of warm pudding, take it off the heat.

5. Immediately whisk in the vanilla extract.

6. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place the pan in the ice and whisk frequently until the custard cools. This will take about 20-30 minutes.

7. At this point you can either spoon the custard into serving cups, or cover it and store it in the refrigerator. If you're storing it, cover it with plastic and squeeze out all of the air bubbles so a film doesn't form. I like to pour it into a big freezer bag and squeeze out all of the air. Then when I serve it, I snip off the corner of the bag and pipe the custard into the serving dish.

Serve this custard extremely cold with whipped cream or whipped topping on top. Garnish with chocolate shavings, a pinch of ground cinnamon, or chocolate-covered espresso beans.